Arabidopsis 2010 Project: Collaborative Research on the Functions of the SABATH Family Methyltransferases

拟南芥基因组包含24个相关基因，它们编码不同于任何其他已知甲基转移酶的甲基转移酶。这一组中的一种甲基转移酶已被证明能将茉莉酸--一种重要的植物激素--转化为茉莉酸甲酯，从而以显著的方式改变激素的活性。初步实验表明，这一组的其他23个甲基转移酶将几种重要的激素和其他植物成分转化为甲酯，从而对这些分子的生物活性产生重要影响，从而影响到无数重要的生理过程。这个项目的目的是通过结合分子遗传学、酶学、蛋白质结构分析和代谢物图谱的方法来鉴定这一组的所有甲基转移酶的功能(即合成每个甲基转移酶)。这些激素分子的甲基化对植物生理的影响将在选定的案例中进行检查，其中可能包括涉及植物对病原体、干旱条件和草食的反应的过程。这些结果有望更好地了解植物对环境条件的反应，从而帮助提高作物产量和营养价值。此外，通过开发确定哪些拟南芥基因参与植物各种小分子合成的方法，该项目将有助于阐明其他拟南芥基因参与迄今未知的生化途径的功能。广泛影响：该项目将为培养本科生、研究生和博士后，包括女性和少数族裔提供跨学科的机会。参与该项目的所有三所机构都有正式计划，以吸引少数族裔本科生和高中生进入教职员工实验室，并将积极招募此类学生。此外，本次调查中开发的方法和材料将直接用于对本科生进行由首席调查人员教授的正规实验室课程的培训。该项目产生的资源将通过拟南芥生物资源中心提供。所获得的数据将通过在科学期刊上发表的出版物、存放在包括拟南芥信息资源、国家生物信息库和蛋白质数据库在内的公共数据库中，以及每月更新该项目的网站http://biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/pichersky/NSF2010.来传播

The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains 24 related genes that encode methyltransferase enzymes distinct from any other known methyltransferases. One methyltransferase from this group has been shown to convert jasmonic acid, an important plant hormone, into the jasmonate methyl ester, thereby changing the activity of the hormone in significant ways. Preliminary experiments suggest that the other 23 methyltransferases of this group convert several important hormones and other plant constituents into the methyl esters, thereby exerting important effects on the biological activity of these molecules and consequently on myriad important physiological processes. The aim of this project is to identify the function of all the methyltransferases of this group (i.e., which compound each of them methylates) by a combination of methods that involve molecular genetics, enzymology, protein structure analysis, and metabolite profiling. The consequences of the methylation of such hormonal molecules on the physiology of the plant will be examined in selected cases, which may include processes involving plant response to pathogens, drought conditions, and herbivory. The results are expected to provide a better understanding of plant responses to environmental conditions, thus helping improve crop yield and nutritional value. In addition, by developing methodologies for determining which Arabidopsis genes are involved in the synthesis of the plant's diverse repertoire of small molecules, the project will contribute to the elucidation of the function of other Arabidopsis genes involved in hitherto unknown biochemical pathways.Broader Impact: The project will provide interdisciplinary opportunities for training undergraduates, graduates, and post-docs, including women and minorities. All three institutions involved in this project have formal programs to attract minority undergraduate and high school students to faculty labs, and such students will be actively recruited. In addition, methods and materials developed in this investigation will be used directly to train undergraduate students in formal lab courses taught by the lead investigators. The resources generated in the project will be made available through the Arabidopsis Biological Resources Center. The data obtained will be disseminated by publications in scientific journals, by deposition in the public databases including the Arabidopsis Information Resource, NCBI, and the Protein Data Bank, and by monthly updating of the project's website, http://biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/pichersky/NSF2010.